Have you ever had too much to say. I have all these posts rolling around in my head and I want to write them all! But you really dont need to be privy to all the wanderings of my head. I mean seriously you dont wanna go there folks! So anyway on the the posts...
Topic one...
Home schooling.
I think that I have mentioned that I feel like I am at a bad place. If I have not well just know that this subject has taken up a lot of "thinkin" time lately! I know there is burn out, I know that it is the middle of the year, I know that I probably do this every year about this time but...
this year feels different.
this year feels hopeless.
I have tried so many tactics. I have tried so many things. And if you are of the school of thought that maybe, just maybe all the "trying" is part of my problem...dont go there! Please. I have already gone over that scenario and I dont think that is it.
I like to school them together as much as possible. This of course causes as many problems as it probably solves. I cannot do everything together and feel that sometimes when three different maths need to be done and explained and checked and corrected...well you get the idea. It seems like too much, but honestly I have enough time in the day.
I really do.
I have enough time in the day to school my kids properly, clean my house, take care of my husbands needs, cook three meals a day... well you get the idea
The problem lies with
I dont do what I am supposed to do.
I dont get done what I am supposed to do.
I cant keep a schedule.
I cant maintain a certain routine.
Now are you getting an idea of the problem???
I cant, I cant, I cant...
I have tried to no avail. I have attempted MOTH (managers of the home), Flylady, friend accountability, notebooks, my own charts... I have tried so many things. I have to be honest that in real life they all do work. The problem is I dont press on. I dont continue doing them. I just dont.
I am at a loss. I need an idea.
So let me have it. You can tell me what YOU DO to manage but what I am mostly interested in is how you KEEP doing it????
4 comments:
I tried alot of those methods like flylady, and I think they work for some people, but just not for me. Now, I don't have this nailed down...
I found that we were overcommitted last year, and that is what led to my feelings of being overwhelmed and totally hopeless. I didn't have the time unless everything went perfect, and when does THAT happen? Not to say that is the case for you, but it was for me.
Also, I had to just experiment and find what worked for me. We school year round and for a month in the summer we went bare bones with just reading and math, while I tinkered and experimented until I found something that fit into our lives, and that felt like a good fit. We did the same thing after Thanksgiving, I knew that between the holidays and shopping, I would stress myself until I broke if I kept trying to do a full day.
Also, maybe try somethings and blog about them over a couple of weeks, the positives and negatives. It might help you come up with a hybrid of what works for you. I am very visual, and so sometimes when its in writing I can figure it out better. Maybe you can find the hitch in your schedule that way.
The only reason I stay with any of the systems is because they WORK, because they make it easier for me. Its why I couldn't stick with flylady it was unnatural to our normal schedule. If it doesn't make it appreciably easier, than its harder to stick with.
Okay, first of all, how did you post all those pictures? Did you find your camera??? I know some were film but what about the others?
And, next, I don't know much about the tactics you already use, and I'm not a homeschooler, but I will give my 2 cents for whatever it's worth:
Have the kids trade and grade some papers, like math or spelling or "definite answer" papers.
Have one day a week be "you teach me" day where you don't teach the kids but rather a) they teach each other, or b) they teach the material back to you (like a form of assessment)
Tackle their favorite subjects last so that they will work up to them and be motivated to finish their other work.
Set a new goal for each child each week (from their own input), and focus on that. Of course, work on other things too but really focus on one goal. (For example: the goal might be to memorize the 4x times tables, or learn 10 new words, or memorize a bible verse every day, or ride bikes every day for 30 minutes.) Don't worry if you get behind on one subject because next week you can shift the goal focus and catch up.
I have NO idea if that will help.
I still struggle with this. It seems every time I get everything "back in order" and DECLARE to the heavens that it will never be in such bad shape again, then I am right back there in a few weeks! ha ha!
I tried flylady...TOO MUCH! It worked for about 2 weeks.
The only thing that has kept me on top of things this year is that we have another student homeschooling with us! My friend's five year old comes over to do "preschool" with my 4 year old. (she was 4 at the beginning of the year) She comes over 4 days a week for 3-4 hours. This means my house MUST be presentable in the mornings. It means we ARE doing school while she is here and it means that I don't let it all pile up because I know I won't have time to "do it all" on my weekend free time.
Now, there were a couple of weeks before Christmas where my bedroom door was shut because I had let things pile up and quickly shoved things in there, but for the most part this worked.
I guess I won't say that you should find another person to come over, but hey, it's extra money! ha!
I will be sad when she isn't coming over next year (her mom plans to homeschool her on her own) but I truly hope I have developed some habits that will hang in there.
Don't give up....you are a great mom and here's a book for you to read:
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.
GREAT book, read it!
I half homeschool and I will let you in on a secret-we are all struggling. I try to make sure everyday I have a little bit of a treat--mine is coffee. I have some good beans I grind with 1/2 and 1/2 and sugar. I cherish the few moments I spend fixing my cup and drinking at least a bit. Maybe you could take time out for a little 'you treat' just to keep going. You can put it in a schedule and this may help you keep a schedule (we die without a schedule!).
I will pray you get over this patch and things get easier.
I love "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World"; you should read the follow-up about the Mary spirit.
(Feel free to email me if you want to discuss schedules or anything :) )
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